The Bertarelli Foundation was founded in 1998 by Maria Iris, Dona and Ernesto Bertarelli in memory of Fabio Bertarelli, who in the 1970s brought Serono, his family’s business, to Switzerland and helped lead the development of the life science sector in the Lake Geneva region. Today the Bertarelli Foundation tackles some the biggest issues in the fields of marine conservation and life science research and does so by developing partnerships with scientists, NGOs and governments around the world. As a result the Foundation is helping to provide real solutions to critical problems ranging from combating illegal-fishing to overcoming congenital deafness.

The Bertarelli Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of Harvard Medical School. In 2011, the foundation established the Bertarelli Program in Translational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering at HMS. The program’s goal is to begin to bridge the existing gap between basic and translational neuroscience by supporting basic and clinical research oriented toward translational opportunities; by creating stronger ties among scientists, engineers and clinicians; and by training the next generation of leaders in the field.

Read more about the Bertarelli Foundation and the Bertarelli Rare Cancers Fund here.